Medical Students Association of Kenya (MSAKE)
Job
Title: Program
Officer – Advocacy
Division: Programs
Location: Nairobi
Responsible
to: Medical Students Association of Kenya (MSAKE)
Date: January
2022
Rank: 2
DBS: No
The
Medical Students Association of Kenya (MSAKE) is a non-profit organization
representing medical students in Kenya and is a national member organization of
the International Federation of Medical Students Associations.
MSAKE is implementing a sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) advocacy project to ensure meaningful youth participation in addressing the uptick of triple threats among young people; new HIV infections, teenage pregnancies, and sexual-based gender violence, and ensure that medical schools produce emphatic physicians who advocate and ensure the delivery of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services is patient-centered and without biases and judgement.
The
Position
The
Program Officer-Advocacy will lead the development, planning, implementation,
coordination, and documentation of key strategic interventions under this
project that purposes to build a youth movement in a timely manner.
S/he
will work closely with the Executive Director and SRHR technical working group
to build the
capacities of the MSAKE Secretariat and medical students, providing them with
technical assistance on SRH and rights (SRHR) and ensuring that common
strategies and approaches are applied consistently across the medical campuses.
Primary
Duties and Responsibilities
· Lead in
the planning, implementation, and coordination of all project-related
interventions including advocacy, and youth movement building.
· Develop
effective strategies in relation to youth, gender, and SRHR issues.
· Organize
medical students into a movement that raises awareness and advocates for SRHR.
· Build
linkages with other youth movements to help build a diverse and resilient YSRHR
movement in medical schools and universities.
· Spearheads
research and documentation around YSRHR issues in medical schools and
universities for publishing and dissemination to inform practice.
· Oversee
daily operations and coordinate activities of the project in close liaison with
Executive Director and development partner.
· Monitor
project expenditures ensuring that budget allocations are adhered to;
· Prepare
and submit progress, financial reports, and weekly updates to Executive
Director for onward submission to strategic partners.
· Work
closely with the M&E team to ensure that systems are in place to track,
analyze and report all project-related results. S/he will work closely with
other SRHR partners supported under this project and other strategic partners.
· Act as
a communication liaison between MSAKE and other strategic partners.
· Identity
key local, regional, and international SRH forums/conferences to profile and
raise the visibility of MSAKE.
· Identify,
coordinate and document publicity strategies for MSAKE events and activities
· In
collaboration with the MSAKE SCORA team, assist in the development of
SRH-related abstracts, publications, promotional SRH literature, and
documentation of the advocacy project achievements for dissemination.
· Build
and maintain ongoing relationships and partnerships with the relevant national
and county government agencies, partner NGOs, and the media.
· To
undertake any other reasonable duties as may be requested from time to time.
Qualifications
& Experience
· Master’s
degree in Public Health, Social Sciences, Philosophy, Humanities Gender, Law,
or any other relevant discipline.
· A
minimum of five years’ experience in managing comprehensive youth-focused SRHR
advocacy programs from conceptualization, design, implementation,
documentation, and reporting.
· Deep
knowledge of the social-cultural, legal and political contextual landscape
-particularly in the East Africa region- and its impact on SRHR.
· In-depth
understanding of SRHR issues for vulnerable/marginalized groups including but
not limited to women, adolescents, and young people.
Proven
Ability
· Evidence
of thought leadership is strongly desired.
· Sound
administrative and organizational skills.
· Solid
technical knowledge of/expertise in human rights and SRHR- particularly among
young people.
· Good
research and analytical skills.
· Excellent
verbal and written communication skills, including report writing.
· Ability
to organize and work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders.
· A high
level of self-awareness, sound judgment, self-care, passion, and flexibility.
· Good
time management skills, ability to multi-task, and meet tight deadlines under
limited supervision.
Personal
Competence
· Ability
to travel locally – about 20 days a year.
· Awareness
of and sensitivity to multicultural and diverse environments.
· Integrity
and ability to maintain confidentiality at all times.
· Strong
commitment to advancing YSRHR.
· Strong
commitment to meaningful youth engagement and reproductive justice.
Please
send your application cover letter, and curriculum vitae that include three
references, salary history, and expectations to info.MSAKE@gmail.com no later
than January 28th 2023, with the email subject: Application for Program Officer
– Advocacy.
Please
note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.